Dragons
by SariaMinoras
Summary: A particularly obligatory type of Alutegra fic. Rated M just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** : Hello, everyone! Long time no see! Welcome to my new story, Dragons! This first chapter is a direct sequel to Dubious, chapter 7 from Fondness, so if you haven't read that, go do it!

I don't really want to spoil what this fic will be about, but it'll probably be kind of obvious once you read through this chapter, hehe. If not, well, you're in for a surprise when the next is uploaded.

I realize this chapter's parts are sort of disconnected: that is because I had no idea how to write this, so I grabbed a bunch of independent texts and tried putting them together. Oops?

Anyway, enjoy yourselves, and I'll see you later! :)

 **How Peculiar...**

" _Shit!_ "

With a loud gasp, the director jumped to her feet and scurried towards the stairs, nearly knocking the vampire off the couch in her haste. She went up in a hurry, climbing two steps at a time.

Alucard sat up with a jolt and turned his head around in pursuit of her rapid movements.

"Master, please!"

The precise moment she disappeared through the hallway in the second floor, Walter and Seras entered the mansion. The older gentleman held the door open and followed the draculina in, who continued a previously unheard conversation.

"Still, he should've been a little more cooperative, don't you think?"

Walter closed the door behind him. "That's the way things work, my dear. Regardless, you did very well."

Seras smiled at the butler and casually made her way to the living room. She halted as she noticed the vampire sitting on the couch and grabbing at the furniture with vigor. She moved her head towards the direction his gaze was pointing at, the top of the stairs, but didn't see anything wrong there. Turning back to him, the officer furrowed her brows at his silence and jaw slightly open.

"Uhm… master? Are you alright?"

No answer came from him. He kept staring, aghast, at the darkness some feet above. Their supernatural connection let her know he wasn't injured, but his paralyzed stance confused her. She considered approaching the count to shake him, in the hopes he was merely daydreaming; if he was focusing on something, however, touching him would be a terrible idea.

Lowering her gaze she also noticed a suspicious protuberance coming from his pants between his legs and averted her eyes in an instant.

"Lord Alucard?" Walter appeared behind her, causing Seras to slightly jump and then sigh in relief; she almost thought she was alone with her master. "Is there anything wrong?"

More seconds of silence followed his question. Seras bit her lower lip and turned to the butler, who hadn't taken his eyes off the vampire. The hunter held his hands behind his back, shuffling his fingers.

She tilted her head to the side when the Nosferatu slowly began closing his eyes. His lips closed and his expression relaxed. The sudden shift made the police girl fidget, and one of Walter's eyebrow rose in slight confusion at the vampire's change of mood.

The vampire then turned his head towards the newcomers and smiled softly. "Not at all, my friend."

With that, Alucard allowed himself to be engulfed by his own shadows and faded through the floor. Seras kept staring at the now empty couch, and Walter turned on his heels with a sigh, shaking his hands and ridding himself of the thin fabric around his fingers.

The draculina shook her head and asked out loud. "Mister Walter? What just-"

"Tea first, little lady," his voice emanated from the kitchen. Seras rubbed her sides and went after the butler. Whatever had happened to her master, she didn't want to know from him.

Above them, Integra was sitting on the edge of her bed with her arms crossed when the walls around her were covered in darkness. It lingered for a while, waiting for permission.

"Come in," she commanded with a sigh.

The shadows melted from the surface and twisted in front of her to create the shape of her slave. She raised her eyes to stare at him, and he answered with a silent, soft smile.

She turned her gaze away and furrowed her brows. "I'm sorry. I panicked."

Alucard took a few steps forward and lowered himself to kneel before her, inches away from her body. "I noticed."

Integra turned towards him again and snickered at her own behavior. She had worried her vampire would be upset by her reaction, but he appeared to still be in a good mood.

She moved a hand to grab at his hair, pulling his head closer to her crotch. "I would like to resume our conversation."

The count's smile expanded to show his pointy teeth. "I noticed that too, a little while ago."

Her chest inflated as she felt her body heating up. She let go of that deep breath and closed her eyes, stroking her vampire's head.

He blinked at her apparent dullness. "We don't have to do this if you're uncertain, dearest master."

Integra felt his hands on her knees and a chill run through her spine. Her heart began to race as she opened her eyes to stare at him firmly.

"I'm certain, servant," she moved both hands to cup his face. "I'm just… well, uhm…" She tried to look for a word, any word, that could replace 'nervous', but found nothing.

Alucard kissed her fingers. "I understand," he began stroking her thighs. "I'm yours to command."

The director blushed at his declaration. She knew he would do as she pleased, and that he would be the best he could for her in such an intimate situation; there was no need for him to reassure her, as that had been their _status quo_ for many years now.

That didn't mean, however, she had a good idea on how to go beyond anything they had done so far.

"I'll have to rely on your expertise, count," she told him, smiling despite herself.

Alucard's eyes widened for a few seconds. Of course she would have to, that much was a given. Still, for her to deposit all her trust on him in a scenario where she could be so vulnerable; to this day, these sorts of gestures touched him, with them being such a drastic contrast to how he had been treated by previous Hellsing administrations.

"We were doing just fine before the interruption. Perhaps we could resume from that, taking advantage of the bed?"

She snickered at his pseudo-question and began lying down, resting on her elbows. "Come on up, then."

The vampire stood slowly and climbed on top of her, coming face-to-face with his master and causing her to rest her head on the mattress. Her reddened cheeks and partially open lips erupted in him a mixed sensation, both wanting to preserve and ravage his mistress. He barely had any time to process those emotions, as Integra had quickly wrapped her arms around his neck for a kiss. He lowered his body so that they now completely touched each other.

"So…" She began, between smacking lips. "Seras and Walter are back… How did it go?"

Alucard moved down to suck on her throat. "Do you wish to stop what we are doing and talk about that instead?"

She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. "Never mind..."

#

Integra pulled up her pants as her vampire sat on the couch. She then bent over swiftly to rescue a number of paper sheets that had been accidentally tossed on the floor.

She complained between breaths. "Do you always have to make a mess?"

Alucard smirked and spread out his legs, looking for a more comfortable position. "My beloved master, as I recall, you were the one who knocked them over."

The director rolled her eyes. "Only because your grabbed my hand."

"Of course I did. It had no business holding your desk," he shifted to the side and lay down with a satisfied sigh.

"Right, it was your crotch that demanded immediate attention," she walked towards her chair to look for her jacket, finding it hidden behind the trash bin. She kneeled down to reach it, groaning at her body still feeling warm and sticky.

Alucard snickered. "And for that, it is eternally grateful."

Integra stood with a huff and finished putting on the rest of her clothes. She turned around to look at her monster and grimaced. "Would you be so kind as to redress, yourself?"

The vampire shrugged and snapped his fingers. A wave of shadows began engulfing his body, starting at his feet, and making their way towards his legs. The darkness progressively converted into his boots and his pants.

"Thank you; and don't forget your shirt."

He put his tongue out at his master, causing her to shake her head. Still reddened and a little sweaty, she adjusted her hair the best she could and made her way to the door. She opened it in a hurry to find Pip readying a knock.

The blush in her cheeks deepened with embarrassment. "Ah, Captain! Good afternoon. May, ah, may I help you?"

The Frenchman lowered his hand and shifted his gaze from Integra's shameful expression to the vampire inside the room, who winked at him with a rather malicious expression. Pip did his best to suppress laughter, and quickly turned his eyes to his boss again.

"You asked me to see you at three, boss, remember?"

She suddenly did. "Ah, yes, you're right."

Something snapped in her mind causing her to also remember the door to her office was still open and Alucard was still in there, probably half-naked too. With a huff, she shut it behind her and moved aside to lead Pip down the hallway.

"Come along, then. Let's discuss the operation downstairs with the rest of the Geese."

Pip nodded, following her. "Whatever you say, boss."

As she hurried towards their destination, the Frenchman smiled to himself. " _Mignonette needs to know about this!_ "

#

Seras made her way up the stairs slowly, the sluggishness preventing her from taking more efficient steps. Their upcoming mission was keeping her awake with her imagination overflowing with images of the worst possible outcomes. Watching the sky from the balcony of one of the rooms in the second floor helped her get some peace of mind, she found out; she wasn't sure if it was the rising sun that did it, but that moment of solitude always calmed her heart.

She finally got to the room and opened the door to see the windows slightly open. As she moved towards them, her field of vision caught sight of a lone body resting on the previously unused bed. She was surprised to see it was Integra, lying naked amongst ruffled sheets.

" _What is she doing here?_ " The draculina thought to herself and walked towards her master, carefully covering the director with the soft, thin fabric.

Attentive to not disturb her, Seras tiptoed the rest of the way and eventually sat on the ledge of the balcony. She stared at the sky, its colors becoming hotter as the sun would momentarily begin announcing its presence.

She closed her eyes and allowed the silence to bring back some memories. A young blonde girl tripped over a rock and fell on her knee, prompting her mother to hurry towards her and embrace the crying child. A bearded old man sat that same blonde girl on his lap and told her the story of the rabbits and horses. The wind pushed and pulled against the blonde girl's hair, as she moved back and forth with glee on the swings of the neighborhood's park...

"Hmm…" Seras sighed with a small smile, feeling drowsiness take over her like magic. Not wanting to waste any of that sleeping spell, she abandoned the balcony and crossed the room with caution, as silently as she could.

She nearly gasped out loud when she reached the door and stumbled upon her sire, the tall figure wearing nothing but his black pants.

"Oh, master!" She whispered, averting her gaze from his naked torso to meet his glowing red eyes. "Sorry, I came here to relax for a bit; I'm a little nervous about the assignment."

Alucard smiled a toothy grin and asked in a dragged baritone. "Did it work?"

"Oh, yes, it always does!" She nodded at him and took a step to leave the room as he entered it. Realizing the count's unusual behavior, at least that she could recall, she turned towards him to inquire about his presence there. "Are you here to watch the sun rise, master?"

He turned around and stood by the door, moving his hand to grab at the handle. "No. I'm here to sleep."

" _Not in his coffin?_ " She wondered to herself, hoping he wouldn't pick it up; fortunately nothing happened. "Oh." She made to leave, but stopped before taking a proper step to alert him. "Uhm, just so you know, sir Integra is sleeping on that bed."

"I know," he squinted his eyes at the draculina, still grinning. "So am I."

She furrowed her brows as he closed the door. "Sweet dreams, police girl."

Seras stared at the door for a few seconds before gasping and covering her mouth with her hands. " _Pip wasn't lying! Maybe mister Walter knows something?_ "

#

A soft kiss to his bearded face caused him to stir, but it wasn't enough to properly wake him. A delicate, but authoritative hand went down to remove his long, curled hair away from his face. That brief moment of pleasure was accompanied by a low, whispering warning to his ear, prompting him to lightly shake at that familiar voice.

"Don't forget to get back to your coffin. You can't sleep here, servant."

Integra's only response was a lazy, guttural growl. She sighed, standing up and adjusting her suit to leave her bedroom. She stood before the door and turned around for a final look at the hairy, masculine figure sprawled naked on the bed. She checked her wristwatch again: twenty to eight, more than enough for her to get to her meeting with the Convention in time. With that, she left without a second thought.

About an hour and a half later, Hellsing's butler was making his way towards his charge's room. She had forgotten a particular set of documents that were now needed at the gathering. On his small journey, he was confronted by the staff with a minor annoyance; one of the maids had been ill, so Integra's room had not been tidied up yet. That, of course, was of barely any concern; the master of the house was usually an organized person, thus her quarters required minimum maintenance. He was sure he would find the documents very quickly.

He arrived at the door to Integra's bedroom and opened it apathetically. The place looked exactly like it always had before being cleaned, but a different scent immediately assaulted him.

" _How peculiar…_ " He stepped inside and looked around the dimly-lit room. He didn't need to observe for too long to find the cause of the anomaly.

He blinked his eyes a few times as he stared at Integra's bed. On it, poorly wrapped in a layer of covers, laid the nude albeit oppressive figure of legendary Romanian prince Vlad Tepes.

Walter stared at him for a while. The former ruler of Wallachia was in a deep sleep; in fact, he looked peaceful and content, something the butler didn't recall happening to his old friend. Alucard's torpors were frequently filled with nightmares that made him contort his face or twitch his body, expressing nothing but pain or stress.

Not this time, though. This time he was appeased and relaxed, so serene his jaw was hanging slightly open. Interestingly, also very comfortable with lying naked on his master's bed; such a breach of conduct and boundaries couldn't mean many things besides...

The Angel of Death smiled to himself and turned to see the documents on a nearby chair. He picked them up and made his way out of the bedroom, unconcerned with how much noise he was making. He was certain Alucard wouldn't be waking up for a while.

" _They didn't believe me when I said I was suspicious… Looks like this old man is more perceptive than everyone else in this mansion combined…_ "

On his way back to the room where the meeting was being held, he stopped a replace maid on her tracks and assigned her a different chore.

#

Integra woke up feeling nauseated. Last night she had gathered with sir Irons and sir Penwood for a small celebratory reunion, commemorating their success in approving a maneuver that many believed was too risky and certainly impassable. She put a hand on her stomach, promising next time she wouldn't drink as much as she had.

That cloudy Sunday went by not very differently from how the previous days had passed. For a while now she had been feeling ill and uncomfortable and overall indisposed to do anything. History was repeating itself; it was usually this time of the year she came down with something, whether it was the flu or a stomach bug or consecutive jubilant occasions. Walter had pleaded with her to go see a doctor to get it over with quickly, but, like always, she dismissed his concerns, arguing she was used to the season and that this was simply a minor inconvenience.

More so to prove her point and less so to get out of the manor for a while, the director had disappeared for a few hours, along with her monster. On the way back home, however, they stopped at a cute house they hadn't noticed before.

"Hmm… I'm having two of these. Thank you."

Alucard frowned as his master unwrapped the purportedly homemade brownies from the local shop. He hadn't quite appreciated their stroll to begin with, given his master's condition, and grimaced when Integra stopped at the place and insisted on trying the sweets. The vampire took one look at the food, another at his sick master, and sighed loudly.

"Master, you've not been feeling very well recently-"

"I always get like this when the weather changes," she shrugged, sitting on a bench.

The monster groaned. "Yes, and you've rejected Walter's constant advice to go see a white-coat."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Like I said, this isn't unusual; it'll pass like always."

"Do you wish me to go with you? These visits can be scary." He insisted.

She rested the brownies on her lap, getting annoyed. "You hate doctors, and I don't need to see one. This is normal for me, you know that."

He took an unnecessary breath. "Still, would you think it a good idea to eat that?"

Integra turned around to stare at him. He kept frowning, condemning the sweets and, worse, indirectly scolding her, as if she had no idea what she was doing. She furrowed her brows and answered with a low, menacing tone.

"Yes, I would. My days have been a shithole. I love brownies, and I'm going to eat these."

Alucard bit his lower lip and sat beside her. He couldn't avoid feeling his blood boil at Integra's stubbornness. He nearly growled when he saw how delighted she looked as she ate those chocolate cakes, and almost bore his teeth when she edged closer just to munch right next to his face.

Well into the night, nearing dawn, the director was hunched over the toilet, emptying her stomach without difficulty, its contents pouring out of her mouth like a toxic, pathetic fountain. Alucard manifested beside her to hold her forehead and get her hair away from her face, scrunching his own. When she stopped to cough, he whispered to her ear, livid as all hell:

"Will you please go see a white-coat, now?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : I'm sorry this is long. There was a lot I wanted to cover but didn't want to split this into two chapters. At least this part is finally out of the way. I'll admit I wish I could have invested more in some scenes, but I suppose I'll have to save that for upcoming chapters. I also feel like Integra is kinda OOC here, but, given the circumstances… Anyway, hope you enjoy!

 **The New Turn of Events**

"So, how have you been feeling?"

Integra sighed and rested her arms on her sides. "Not the best, actually. I'm still feeling tired. I had cramps yesterday too."

Amelia had her lie down on the examination table and placed her stethoscope on different parts of her stomach. "How painful were these cramps?"

She shrugged. "More like a mild discomfort; oh, and the nausea comes and goes."

The apparatus was removed and Amelia moved away from the table without a word. The director sat up and was about to follow her physician back to her desk, but stopped herself when she was signaled to stay.

"There's another exam I'd like to perform."

A mere eyebrow was raised. Circumstances had driven each one of them to follow different paths in their lives, but it still felt like time hadn't passed at all every time they met. It had been fortunate that Amelia was the one chosen to become Integra's personal doctor: she was one of the few people with whom the Hellsing lady felt comfortable talking about certain subjects.

"I had your blood test emailed to me," the doctor told her as she returned to sit by the table, a few sheets of paper on hand. "I want to read it with you."

A light dizziness threatened to take over as Integra shifted to lay her back against the wall. "Ugh… Alright, let's take a look."

Amelia grabbed her pen and began pointing at the many designations and numbers. Each line and column described a particular factor and its normality spectrum. The blonde Englishwoman followed the movement of her pen with tired eyes, hoping this would be over soon.

"Blood count is overall okay, but your red cells are a little low, which usually indicates anemia," she began. Integra nodded with disinterest: she admitted she didn't eat a lot of meat.

The doctor continued. "Nothing to worry about, though; let's boost up your iron intake and you'll be fine. Normal levels for your cholesterol, too."

Small pen marks were ticked on every page as Amelia addressed the many indicators on the exam. She pointed at one at the very end with a little more enthusiasm.

"I want to talk about this one," she circled that specific factor and paused for a moment. "Know what it is?"

The name was read, but it didn't sound familiar at all. "I don't."

"This is a hormone," she explained. "It's called human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, and it's produced by the placenta."

No sound was uttered. Integra thought she heard the word ' _placenta_ ' and waited for her friend to correct herself. When she didn't, she felt her heartbeats accelerate a little. Her mind, however, insisted this wasn't making any sense.

"The… placenta?" She stared at her friend, her eyes barely blinking.

Amelia nodded with a smile. "Yes! We'll be doing an ultrasound scan now, but it's pretty much confirmed."

The director held the edge of the thin mattress with more vigor, her body tensing up. "This-this can't be…"

A small beeping sound was heard as the machine booted up. The doctor shuffled under the examination table her patient was sitting on to reach for a tube of cold gel.

"You told me you're having sex, and unprotected sex for that matter, your period has been missing for a few weeks-"

"I also told you he can't have children and you know my period is irregular," Integra was quick to cut her but lay down slowly as instructed.

Amelia began applying the gel to the tip of the probe and did the same to the director's now bare stomach. She winced lightly at the cold feeling against her skin.

"We will talk about that later, okay? Your symptoms and your test results, it all matches. Now, let's see what we have here…"

The probe was dragged around her abdomen with delicate pressure. Integra turned her head to the side to look at the computer screen her doctor was examining. She couldn't make sense of the black and white image displayed, and blinked in surprise when Amelia froze it.

"There it is," she pointed at a small circular shape. She reached for a few paper towels to wipe the gel off Integra's body. A number of keys on the machine were pressed, and it began printing the image previously shown.

She handed it over to her startled friend, who accepted it with trembling hands. "That is the embryo. It's still very small, but it will grow, obviously. Congratulations, dear."

The table shifted slightly as Integra sat up and stared at the print. Her doctor washed her hands in a sink nearby and made her way back to her desk. Despite having her eyes fixed on it, the Hellsing lady couldn't properly focus. Her mind was racing, although her heart beat even faster. An obnoxious amount of thoughts invaded her, but she found herself unable to voice any of them.

She jerked her head up when Amelia called. "I can see this is coming as a surprise for you, which… I wasn't expecting. To be honest, though, it's new to me as well, so how about we help each other?"

The small distance between the two was crossed and Integra took a seat in front of her. She furrowed her brows, hardly listening to what the doctor was saying. "What… what are you talking about?"

Amelia sighed. "Your period being irregular is irrelevant at this point, but you did say he can't have children. Assuming you're not lying to me and he's indeed your only sexual partner, it might be that you are mistaken about something."

The director looked down and frowned. It was impossible to deny her condition; she was pregnant without a doubt. She felt her face warming up at the prospect of her friend being right about her ignorance.

The chair creaked as Amelia continued her explanation. "Although it's early to say, it looks like you're going through an ordinary pregnancy, which is great. There is nothing wrong with you, but I've never seen it happen before." She rested her back on the chair, her eyes fixed on a rather distraught Integra. "I need more information on A and, well, anything you can tell me, alright? And I want to monitor you closely."

The room remained silent for a few moments. Integra lifted her arm up and stared at the print with dazed eyes. Amelia shifted forward to grasp her by the hand, to which she looked up and locked her eyes on the doctor's.

"Hey," she told her gently, rubbing her fingers. "It will be alright. You have a lot to digest right now. Go home and rest. Talk to mister Walter, talk to A, and you have my phone number."

When the two stood up, the doctor enveloped her friend on a tight hug. Integra struggled to keep her calm, and took deep breaths to avoid sobbing. A few more encouraging words and important medical advice were enough to soothe her for the moment and she left with another appointment scheduled.

#

The car ride had taken forever. A strange cosmic convenience had told her to go to the doctor by herself recently. It had been a good thing too, because all the way back home Integra had cried and cursed everything and everyone, especially herself for her imbecility. How could she not have had the foresight to see this might happen? How could she allow her work to take over her life and prevent her from continue studying? Why was this happening to _her_ , of all people?

She arrived at the manor and announced her presence in a hurry, barely paying any attention to her surroundings. Walter appeared from the living room and greeted her with a smile, cleaning a delicate teacup.

"Welcome back, princess," he raised an eyebrow at his charge walking swiftly towards the stairs. He made no mention of following her. "Did doctor Amelia say anything?"

Integra shook her head and began climbing up the steps. "Everything's fine, Walter, thank you."

The butler rested the teacup on the counter and kept looking at her, studying her behavior. He stared apathetically as Alucard phased through the stairs and blocked her way. The Englishwoman rolled her eyes with a groan.

"You look ill, master. Are you sure these visits are doing you any good?" He grinned, flashing his pointy teeth.

Integra frowned and turned her head to the side to avoid his gaze. "I feel well enough, servant."

He came closer and towered over her, forcing her to take a step back. "White-coat must really like you, then, for wanting you to return so many times."

She pushed him away and marched towards the upper floor. She only stopped her angry advance when she reached the top, and called out to her subordinates.

"I'm tired of hearing about my health. No more word of it!"

When he noticed her continuing down the hallway, ignoring her bedroom, Alucard's grin disappeared. He squinted his eyes and growled lowly at the Angel of Death.

"Walter, what is wrong with her?"

The vampire tilted his head as the butler smirked in response. "I suppose we'll find out soon, my lord."

#

She opened the door to the attic and found moderate darkness; turning on the switch didn't help much. The place was hardly ever used, too. It served essentially as a depository, although thanks to Walter's meticulous habits, it was kept clean and organized. Integra walked towards the many towers of documents, and had no issue finding what she was looking for, as everything was appropriately tagged and labeled.

Abraham had many files on Alucard and his experimentations, but he was as practical as Hellsing's butler. Integra went through a folder dedicated to the monster's biology, which he had separated by systems. When she found the object of her interest, she sat on the floor and skimmed through it, paying closer attention to specific portions.

" _Operation '_ Dry Scalps _' turned out unsuccessful for the third time. Perhaps it is due to a cross-reaction with entity's regenerative skills, although it is not possible to ascertain proper functioning of the system due to the beast's innate condition as a Spawn of the Night. Its metaphysical core is capable, however, of simulating ordinary human bodily functions, more often than not without entity's awareness._

 _I am growing tired of these operations. I am also aware this entity's offspring could draw the attention of our enemies, and I've yet to hear of danger to bearers. Thus, I have decided to divert our resources to other, more important fields, and chose my original idea as our new course of action._

 _Staff is to make use of misinformation and manipulation. If the entity does not know what it is capable of doing, it has no reason to experiment. It is subdued enough to assimilate anything told as indisputable truth. Further details on this new approach to be tackled in future-"_

The sheets of paper fell to the floor forming a small mess. Integra squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her body was sweating and nausea began building up. Amelia had been right after all. She picked up the ultrasound print and stared at it for a while, wondering about all the horrible consequences that would certainly come from this.

She bit her lower lip, and swallowed that crying nod that began forming in her throat. The print fell to the floor as she shut her eyes again and threw her head back to rest it on the wall.

 _What am I going to do, now?_

"Master?"

Her chest expanded as she took a deep breath. Of course this would happen: her behavior would have alerted her monster that something wasn't right with her. She turned to the side to see Alucard staring wide-eyed at the pool of paper sheets around her. He fidgeted, having immediately recognized the material as Abraham's logs.

"Those things are cursed," he forced a smile. She didn't react, her eyes resting lazily on his discomfort. He meant to take a step forward but stopped himself, afraid to come any closer. "You know I will tell you anything you want, master. You have no need to resort to… that."

Integra smiled at him and shook her head. Her vampire furrowed his brows and curled his lip at her reaction, the white of his teeth shining through. She seemed worse than the previous days.

"I'll have Walter find you a better white-coat. This one's making you more ill."

She inhaled deeply again, realizing she wouldn't be able to hide this from him. Slowly, she picked up the print and stood up, supporting herself on the wall. She stepped over the paper sheets and walked towards him, feeling like her legs were made of jelly. Alucard ran his eyes up and down her frame and fixed them on her face when she stopped before him.

"I'm not ill," she told him weakly. "I'm… pregnant."

The vampire blinked at her for a few moments. A cruel thought of betrayal crossed his mind, and the attic became somewhat darker and quieter than before, as if being enveloped by a cold shadow. He then shook his head with a frown.

"I beg your pardon, master, I think I misheard."

The print was unconsciously pocketed in her pants. She sighed before clarifying.

"You didn't. My symptoms, my tests, what we've been doing, everything matches. I'm pregnant."

Alucard felt a shiver run down his spine. He curled his lip and stared right into her eyes, his own shining bright red. Integra allowed him to explore her mind: she was expecting his disbelief, and was too tired to argue with him about it. A second later he jerked back, walked towards the opposite wall and shook his head. She watched as he began ranting a loud, confused monologue, his face now contorted into a maniacal grin.

"It, it can't be, hah hah, but she isn't lying, we saw it, didn't we? We are the only one, aren't we? Yes, yes, we are, but we can't sire, can we? No, we can't, so, how did this happen?"

He suddenly turned to face her. The grin disappeared and was replaced by a snarl. "How _did_ this happen?" He asked, almost silently.

She frowned at him. "I shouldn't have to explain that to a grown man."

Her sarcasm made him accidentally growl. "Master, I can't _sire_ ," he emphasized the last word.

Did he not see what she had just read? She ignored his small misdemeanor. "Actually, you can. You've been lied to," she told him before turning around to grab one of the pieces of paper lying on the ground. He watched attentively as she returned, and jumped back covering his eyes as she handed him Abraham's document.

"Cursed!"

"Don't be stupid, you know these seals don't hurt you anymore. It's all there if you want to read it," she told him, slamming the paper on a nearby table. She reached for the print that had been unintentionally shoved in her pants' pocket some minutes ago.

"There's also… this."

He raised his eyes as he noticed the shift in her voice to a much mellower tone. He tilted his head as she looked at the paper on her hands. She sighed and handed it to him.

Alucard accepted the print from her and examined it curiously. He stared at the black-and-white image of a tiny curled tube-like object for a while. Integra held back a smirk at his confusion; for a moment, she had forgotten her vampire would not be aware of some modern technology.

"What is this, master?" He asked, at last, his frustration slowly dissipating.

"An ultrasound scan," she told him. His furrowed brows caused her to clear her throat and try to give a better explanation; the vampire was just calming down, and simply assuming he would understand something he did not know of might upset him. "It creates an image of the inside of your body, so…"

Alucard's eyes widened. "This… is a picture of-"

"Y-yes," she gulped, holding herself.

The darkness of the room appeared to recede and the temperature raise. The vampire's face illuminated with a progressively bigger smile. His eyes were now transfixed on the tiny spot, and he let out a non-existing breath. "It's… such a small thing, master," he told her in an uncommonly soft, almost childish tone.

Integra felt her body weakening and moved to sit on an armchair next to where the couple was standing. She turned to face the opposite wall and away from the count. Alucard had been so absorbed by the paper in his hand he only noticed Integra wasn't there anymore when he heard her sigh. His smile faded as he put the print down and cocked his head at her, minding how exhausted she seemed.

"Do you wish me to take you to your room, master? Have Walter prepare you anythi-"

"I don't want to get rid of it, Alucard," she told him in a small voice, then lightly shook her head. "I couldn't possibly do such a monstrous thing…"

The room felt colder again. The vampire froze on the spot, his mouth slightly open. _Get rid of it_? His lips closed to hide the cringing of his teeth. His eyes burned red on her frame, desperately impressing her image on his mind to counter an angry voice yelling obscenities from within his core. He couldn't avoid clenching his fists and damaging the print, the very first photograph of his child.

"But we don't know anything about this," she took a deep breath and felt her throat tie in a knot. "I'm not mother material either." Alucard bore his fangs at that comment then swallowed a grunt to not interrupt her.

"It… will not be a normal child, will it?" Small tears formed on the edges of her eyes and came down when she gulped. "What if it's a monster? What if it…" She paused to search for a more innocent word. "What if it… hurts me?"

The count recomposed himself at his master's confession, relaxing every stiffened part of his body. She had no desire to terminate this pregnancy, she was simply scared of the possibility it might injure her and that she would do a terrible job as a mother. The attic became bearable to be in once more, following his serenity. He took a few steps forward and knelt beside her armchair.

"It greatly upsets me that you have this… preconceived notion that you will fail at motherhood," he said softly. "You also thought you would not make it as Hellsing's leader, remember?"

She simply sniffed as a response. He continued. "You are of blessed blood, thus will never produce a monster. As for your safety, there is nothing to be afraid of," he comforted her with a gentle tone. "If you go through my old master's notes, you will find this is not the first time in History something like this has happened."

Integra rubbed her eyes to wipe off the tears; perhaps she had read a passage that implied what he was saying, but she couldn't remember right now. She turned to face her vampire to see the monster turned into her knight once again. His calm demeanor soothed her racing heart.

He ran a finger through her cheek. "You can ask Walter as well, if you need reassurance. I would never allow for you to be harmed."

A small smile curved on her face, and she stared at her vampire for a few moments. He was collected now, concern for her worries overriding his joyful aura from before.

After a few seconds, however, he frowned a little, catching her attention. He brushed her hand against his forehead, rubbing his face against her skin. "I swear to you, master," his voice came out in a breathy tone as a single red trail coursed down his cheekbones. "I will do a good job. I will not fail you."

Integra was astounded at her monster's reaction. She had hardly ever seen Alucard cry, and those moments only happened due to nightmares or cruel memories. She delicately cleaned the blood off his face, and stared at him with a strange mixture of fascination and pity. He wasn't just shifting moods, she assumed, but simply shaken, overcharged with emotions.

She grinned at him. "You seem very happy about this, servant."

His grip on her hand twitched for a second before a pointy smile crept on his face. His short hair extended to form long, curled locks. A thin mustache grew above his lip and a raspy beard covered his jaw. He looked up to stare at her with perverse glee. Integra's eyes widened at the partial transformation and the heavy accent that peppered his reply.

"One of a king's greatest joys is news that his queen bears his firstborn son."

She shifted back a little, surprised at the abrupt change; her vampire's unpredictability was showing itself once again. Vlad III now stood before her, making absurd assumptions and throwing veiled suggestions at his bride. Stuck between agitation and embarrassment, her mind boiled alternatives on what to do: confront him, berate him, or simply send him away?

"May I keep this, dearest?" He interrupted her train of thought with that low baritone, flashing the crumpled ultrasound print.

Integra blinked a few times before answering. "Yes." Undecided on how to deal with her vampire's antics right now, she opted to let him go. "I'd like to have a word with Walter. You are dismissed."

He gently guided her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Are you sure you are well? Would you prefer it if I brought him over to you?"

Her face warmed up at his flirting. "I'm fine; and no, thank you. Off you go."

Alucard smiled at her, half-bowed and vanished through the floor. Integra touched her cheek to feel it burning. Wondering about her vampire's flip-flopping reactions, but mostly embarrassed by her own, she stood up slowly and picked up any documents left. Papers on hand, she left the attic to meet the butler downstairs.

#

"Walter? May I… talk to you?"

The Angel of Death put down the tray he had been preparing for her and turned around to face his charge.

"Of course, princess," he answered with a smile and nonchalantly adjusted his cravat. "Do you need anything?"

Integra fidgeted, trying to find the right words to introduce the subject. Despite the way it turned out, the conversation with Alucard had been easier, straight to the point; he had not been the one to raise her as a daughter, after all. Talking about this with Walter was disconcerting to her; she wondered what it would feel like if she had to break this news to her father instead, and shivered at that notion.

She looked at him in his eyes, those experienced yet… strangely comforting orbs. Her shame began melting away, being replaced by homesickness. Walter was never a punisher; rather, he had always been her shoulder to cry on.

"I'm fine, but…" She paused, but decided to not dance around the subject with him either. She had had enough of this stress. "Walter, I'm… pregnant."

The butler widened his eyes and contorted his face into a genuine smile. Integra blinked as he moved forward and held her in a gentle embrace. She hugged him back and exhaled softly, feeling a grateful sensation of relief take over.

"Oh, this is wonderful, princess! I'm so happy for you, my dear, congratulations."

She lightly pushed him back, her face suddenly reddening at an important piece of information. "Alucard is the father."

Walter grinned. "I would be surprised if he weren't." He put a hand on his chin and stared down at the floor, then muttered to himself. "Not sure how he would react to that, though…"

Integra's eyes widened. "You… knew? About us, I mean?"

A light chuckle emanated from his mouth, and he put his hands behind his back to try to hide his amusement. "Pardon me, my lady, but it was not very hard to notice."

She slapped her forehead and let her hand slide down to grab at her face. Either the butler was very good at noticing subtleties, which he indeed was, given his position, or she hadn't been as careful as she'd liked. She groaned and placed the sheets of paper she had been carrying on the dinner table. He shifted his eyes for a second to take a quick glance at their contents, but turned back to her almost immediately.

Noticing her silence, he cocked his head to the side. "Are you alright, my dear?"

Integra shrugged. "Yes, I'm fine, it's just…" She crossed her arms and bit her lower lip. "What if… something goes wrong?"

The butler smiled at her, relieved to understand her worries. He couldn't deny he had his own concerns, but at this moment his charge needed his support and nothing more. He cupped her face with a gentle hand and encouraged her.

"Nothing will go wrong, my dear. You are safe and well looked after, and we will be with you."

She sighed and nodded at him. She knew she wouldn't be alone, but hearing it brought a new layer of reassurance. Still, she couldn't quite shake away that nagging feeling of inadequacy.

"Thank you, you're right," she smiled weakly and moved a chair to sit on it. Walter repositioned himself to stand beside her.

"Of course," he cleared his throat. "We should make arrangements to best handle this new turn of events."

"What turn of events?" Seras' voice called from the living room.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** : I have absolutely no excuse to justify how long it took to update this besides... well, I was lazy. It's my fault for not having planned the whole thing from the start. I've also been pretty unproductive on the creative side and have been consuming more than actually making, which is shameful, really. On unrelated news, though, I've also re-written the first chapter of Fondness and made it something new, if you're curious, so this is like a double update.

Also, thanks a lot for the follows and alerts! It means a lot to me to know that people are interested in my stuff! :)

Last but not least, with some of these "obligatory" developments out of the way, I can focus more of the fic on pregnancy and character interactions shenanigans, which was the whole point from the start. Anyway, enjoy!

 **Chapter 3**

Walter rolled his eyes as Pip, who had arrived shortly after Seras, made another disgruntled sound.

"I should not have to remind you, captain, that your task is a lot more important than your personal amusement."

The Frenchman clicked his tongue. "I can't believe I won't be here to see it."

"There's nothing funny about this," Integra put her hand on her forehead, feeling another dizzy spell coming. Seras approached the director and wrapped an arm around her frame, before having her hands gently pushed away with a reassuring " _I'm fine_ ". The draculina pouted at being dismissed, and Integra couldn't help but smile at her.

"You'll be here, mignonette!" The mercenary suddenly perked up. He crossed the small distance between them and put his hands on the police girl's shoulders, squeezing them just a little bit. "You can take a picture of the old men's faces when the boss breaks the news!"

He contorted his face as Seras grabbed at his wrists with a little more force than necessary.

"This is serious, Pip! We have no idea how they're going to react to it!"

The Frenchman opened his mouth to reply but Walter interrupted him. "What we do know is that it is time for you to leave, captain."

Pip rubbed his wrists unenthusiastically and sighed. He hated feeling left out of something entertaining, especially if it promised so many laughters. He looked outside the window to confirm the rest of the Geese were already packing up and gathering near the cars.

" _Oui, oui_ , I get it… I'll be off, then." He tipped his hat to the group and began making his way towards the door, stopping before exiting to congratulate Integra again. She half-smiled in response, the dizziness building up.

"Speaking of leaving," the butler announced, looking at his watch, "we should be on our way to see doctor Amelia as well, princess."

Another visit to her doctor. Integra felt a strange sting on her throat and her heartbeat accelerated. She gripped the paper sheets tightly, remembering it hadn't been long since she last had a cup of wine, and even less longer since she last had raw fish for dinner. Her mind flooded with pure dread. What if she had hurt the baby? What if it was born ill because she hadn't taken proper care of herself? What if she had already condemned this pregnancy? What if-

"I still can't believe you're pregnant!" Seras' cheerful tone interrupted her train of anxious thoughts. "We're going to have a tiny Miss Integra walking around the mansion!" She smiled with reddened cheeks, picturing a miniature version of the director running away from her mother.

"Or a tiny Alucard," Walter smirked. He tried hard to imagine the vampire as a baby but that proved itself to be too much for his imagination, and it took great effort from his part to contain his amusement. Seras, however, gasped loudly, her eyes now bigger than dinner plates.

"I haven't congratulated master yet! Excuse me!" She bowed at them and rushed towards the basement.

The butler shook his head, his grin still adorning his face. The police officer did turn out as a positive addition to the agency, after all. He looked at his charge, to see her staring absent-mindedly at the direction Seras had taken. His expression softened and he put his hand on her shoulder, breaking her focus.

"Are you ready, miss?"

Integra was brought back to Earth. She blinked a few times, and took a deep sigh, trying to control her racing heart.

"Yes. Let's go."

#

The stony steps emitted a dull sound as Seras slowed down her pace and walked through the hallways towards her master's chambers. The adrenaline rush she had felt before subsided as her mind drifted into imagination territory. She wondered if the baby would be a mixture of its parents, or maybe gravitate towards one of them.

Perhaps it would look like her master and have his lady's temperament. A small shiver cruised through her back: her thoughts crafted a very demanding, authoritarian mini Alucard, maybe even a bit of a tyrant. She shook her head, reprimanding herself for thinking badly of the Hellsing director. Maybe Integra hadn't been like that as a kid, and had turned so fierce due to her chaotic upbringing. She made a mental note to ask Walter about it.

Images shifted as the police girl advanced, and then reformed as a tiny version of Integra, with her master's personality. She stopped for a bit to cringe at the thought. If this came to be, the Hellsing household would have to contend with two snarky, rather unhinged bastards, more than just occasionally violent. She pinched her cheeks for, again, conjuring a negative opinion of one of her superiors.

She resumed her journey after punishing herself. " _Hm… Maybe it will be a bit of both_ ," she thought after a while, but couldn't decide if this would be a good or a bad outcome. In a last-ditch effort, her mind considered that maybe the kid could potentially have a personality of its own, and only inherit its parents' better traits.

She passed through her own quarters and stopped at her door. Alucard never really visited her, but it was somewhat comforting to know he was nearby. She stared at the doorknob and chuckled to herself.

" _I guess it'll be just me, now_ …"

Her brows furrowed at that strange, melancholic thought. She shook her head and resumed her walk, finally arriving at the heavy steel door. Seras raised a hand to knock on it but something was off. She realized now that the inferior levels felt strangely peaceful, nowhere near as cold or intimidating as they usually were; Alucard's mere presence was enough to create an oppressive atmosphere.

" _What is going on?_ " She found herself incapable of finding a decent explanation. Pressing her ear against the metal, she thought she could hear some mumbling coming from inside. Unsure of what was happening, she cautiously knocked on the door.

#

Alucard's shadows waved lazily on the partial darkness of his chambers. One of his hands held the ultrasound scan, the first picture of his firstborn. His red eyes were relaxed but fixated on that peculiar, yet fascinating image. His other hand rested on the handle of his throne, where he was nearly sprawled. His long curly hair pooled around his shoulders, cascading down his frame like an overcoat.

"Maybe you'll have this mane as well, my prince," he whispered to the slightly crumpled piece of paper. It didn't respond, preserving the silence in the room.

He brushed the print with his thumb, as if it could indirectly caress his baby. His eyebrows furrowed a little, and he stared at the embryo more attentively. He couldn't quite understand where these new emotions were coming from. Way back when, he was certain there was nothing left of him, until Integra came along and warmth erupted from his core. He had spent countless nights trying to figure it out, and why things were changing.

The count shifted on his throne and wondered, his child still a mystery to him. " _This is something else_ ," he thought to himself. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember his previous experiences with positive, overwhelming feelings, but those memories evaded him. He knew he had been married, he knew he had had children, he knew he had had lovers, every book about his life confirmed these events had happened to him.

He just couldn't remember if he had ever deeply loved them.

The ultrasound scan brought his attention back, and he relaxed. " _Things will be different, now_ ," he decided. He was to be a father again, and that notion filled him with indescribable fervor. A devious thought permeated his mind and he parted his lips, allowing his tongue to lick at his fangs and around his mouth, its tip brushing against his moustache.

"We'll see if you are an adept of feeding," he whispered with a smile, as if telling the picture a naughty secret. "I'll even share your mother's blood with you, my boy."

He thought he heard small knocks on the door. Alucard's pointy grin softened, as he imagined his son growing up. He rested an elbow on his throne, and turned the piece of paper a little to the side, trying to decipher how that tube evolved into a human being. From that point on it was easy to envision the changes: the child was fed, ran around a lot, and-

 _Knock knock knock_.

Moments passed with no answer. Eventually, on the other side, Seras heard a guttural tone commanding her to come inside. She could identify the voice as belonging to her master, but the accent threw her off for a second. Hardly struggling to keep her composure, she slowly pushed the door open and almost immediately closed it behind her.

"Good evening, master!" She saluted with surprisingly contained enthusiasm.

Alucard barely moved his head to the side. Still, he acknowledged the draculina's presence with a small smile. "Good evening, police girl."

Seras' brows furrowed at her master's appearance, and realized that was the reason why his way of speaking was a little different. The officer's amusement began cooling off. She slightly shifted from side to side, considering how to do this.

Despite sir Integra's apparent coldness, she had always been very receptive of Seras' warmer disposition, even going to the point of initiating contact on her own. The police girl usually felt comfortable being affectionate and cheerful around the director, so it had been easy to react to the news with overt joy.

Unfortunately, this wasn't Integra. This was her master, and, when it came to the draculina, Alucard could be demanding and sometimes a little heartless, even though she knew deep inside he truly liked her. She also knew, however, that acting like a fool could potentially either upset or bore him.

Still, this was meant to be a joyous occasion, and Seras couldn't pretend she wasn't excited about it. Despite everything people said about him and his nature, her master would be a dad.

A dad. That word replayed in her mind for a while, and, suddenly, she felt her heart fill up with uncomfortable apprehension. Something whispered to her: _he would have a little boy or a little… girl to look after now, and he and sir Integra would be a family._

Her trepidation abruptly disappeared and she shook her head. " _What is this?_ " She tugged at the fabric of her uniform, feeling a troublesome, awkward sting in her chest. Realizing how strange that would appear, she quickly clasped her hands together and congratulated her master with a big smile.

"We just heard the news from sir Integra! Congratulations, master, I'm so happy for you!"

Alucard had to admit Seras really was an adorable thing, even when she behaved like an overly-enthusiastic child. This wasn't his preferred facet of her personality, though. Her darker, more vicious nature was a lot more interesting. Of course, him having a kid would not entice that cruel side to come out.

A thought rushed through the darkest corners of his mind, as his vision went red and his grin disappeared. _What would he do if it did come out, though? Something unpleasant, to protect him_. He began curling his fingers around the handle of his throne, but the same pressure that instigated the sudden mood shift caused him to snap back in an instant.

He blinked a few times as his sight cleared. Where had that come from? He turned his head to properly stare at the draculina, furrowing his brows at her cocking her head to the side. " _This is Seras_ ," he reassured himself. " _My family, my own blood_ ".

His expression softened and he smiled back at her. "Thank you, Seras."

She nodded, putting her hands behind her back. "I know it's going to be healthy and strong! I can't wait to see its cute face!"

The warlord chuckled and turned his attention back to the ultrasound scan. "Me neither, police girl."

Seras sighed and observed her master. His gestures told her their conversation was over, but she couldn't help feeling curious about his behavior. He felt calm and collected, maybe even hopeful. She noticed the paper he was holding and realized what it was in an instant. Her gaze shifted and landed on the vampire, who eyed the image so tenderly.

A small shiver went down her spine, as she began feeling a little restless. She wanted to ask him to see it, to hold it herself. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped a smidge. She needed proof. For a brief moment, she felt the urge to run up to him and just take it, to look at it real close, to make sure it was there. He was staring at it with so much focus it was almost ridiculous. Maybe, if she was fast enough, she could easily get away with-

"Are you still standing there, police girl?"

She jumped in surprise at her master's voice. Her blurred vision recomposed itself and she immediately shifted her glance to Alucard's face. He was staring at her attentively, but she couldn't quite read his expression.

"Ah, sorry, I was distracted!" She gulped and began walking backwards, until she touched the metallic handle of the door. "Good evening, and congratulations again, master!" She told him, before leaving the room and quickly closing the door behind her.

She turned around to rest her back against the coldness of the wall. An involuntary instinct made her take an unnecessary sharp breath. She couldn't make out what had transpired. She slowly let the air out, trying in vain to collect her thoughts, and finally walked away, wondering when Pip would be back.

#

A couple of hours later, Walter opened the door to allow Integra inside. She had been chewing the same gum for quite some time now, and went straight to the visitor's restroom to throw it away, much to the butler's chagrin.

"I'm relieved there was no reason to worry, miss," he told her, placing the keys on a nearby counter.

The director nodded with tired eyes. "So am I. I felt weak on my knees for a while," she admitted, coming back to meet him.

"Amelia is a good doctor," he handed her the small package of chewing gum she had inadvertently left with him. "And a good friend."

Integra blushed, accepting the package. She couldn't remember when and why she had given it to Walter.

"If she were such a good friend, she wouldn't impose so many restrictions," she grimaced, remembering everything the doctor had advised her to do and not to do. It was a good thing she had emailed it, too; Integra worried anything amiss could lead to potential disaster.

Walter smiled. "It is for a good cause."

He received a half-hearted nod in response. His princess looked tired, but, despite her worries, still very much herself. He wondered how the course of this pregnancy would affect her mood, but quickly pushed that thought to the back of his mind. He saw her walk away from him and begin climbing up the stairs.

Before she went any further, he inquired. "Sir Irons and sir Penwood will be here shortly. Would you like something to eat before they arrive?"

She stopped to make a face and pressed hard against the cold handrail. All she wanted was to get out of these clothes and lie down on her bed for as many hours as she could get. Eating could be postponed, since there was no place for hunger in her mind: food was now associated with a dreadful feeling deep in her gut.

She let out a tired breath. "I don't want to eat anything, honestly."

"Still, you should," he nodded at her. "Doctor Amelia said to sn-"

"Snack throughout the day, yes, I remember." She rolled her eyes and climbed down the stairs. The butler smiled and waited for her to catch up to him. "I just don't want to feel sick again."

He extended an arm, directing her to the small living room next to the kitchen. "A light sandwich, then."

#

The room grew darker as the evening passed, but Integra felt no need to turn on any extra lights. The small blood stains in that string of dental floss were visible enough. She stepped on the pedal of her tiny trash can and disposed of the material with a frown. She couldn't remember her gums ever bleeding, but Amelia did warn her it might happen.

She turned back to the mirror and exposed her teeth, hoping her reflection would not show any red. During her inspection, she caught sight of a dark silhouette forming behind her, near her bed. She sighed, but hid a small smile; after finding out she was pregnant, Alucard's company had become more than just desired. Similarly to how she felt towards her butler, the vampire's presence brought a strange sense of relief.

"Entering without permission again, servant?" She turned around to face him, his body now completely formed.

Alucard grinned, and answered with a low baritone, as if afraid to wake somebody up. "My apologies, master. I was just very eager to see you."

She walked towards him but moved to grab her coat from the bed. He watched her with renewed interest, thinking of what was to come. Two head members of the Convention would arrive in a few moments, completely unaware of the subject of their meeting. Despite how funny that encounter promised to be, Alucard hated to see his master suffer under the scrutiny of her older, more experienced partners.

"Are you worried, dearest?" He inquired, his amusement turned into slight concern.

Integra finished adjusting her clothes and slowly flipped her hair over the upper garment. She clicked her tongue and looked up at her vampire to see his eyes glinting. She huffed, predicting how this whole ordeal would develop.

"They have no say in this matter. I am not asking for permission, I am communicating an… important event."

Alucard smiled and cupped her cheek gently. He began drawing closer for a kiss, and she allowed his lips to touch hers. It was a small and brief contact, but Integra did not complain; she hadn't been feeling well for the past few minutes, and the vampire could see through her lies, as he felt her heart racing. His other hand searched for hers, and their fingers crossed in a small, reassuring gesture.

As he moved away, he cocked his head to the side with curiosity; his master was now smaking her tongue and swallowing nothing.

"Something wrong?"

"No," she told him nonchalantly. "I just keep getting this metal taste in my mouth."

The vampire couldn't help but grin at that comment. "Perhaps a taste of a different nature would be more to your liking?" He asked, directing her hand to touch his groin.

Integra frowned at his dirty joke. She immediately grabbed at his cravat and slowly pushed him closer to her again. She whispered to his ear, almost hissing.

"Do you want this pregnancy to go smoothly?"

His amused smirk at her reaction was accompanied by widened eyes. "Of course, master."

She raised her voice a little. "Then don't fucking vex me."

The director let go of her monster and moved past him, shutting the door to her bedroom behind her. Alucard stood there, staring at her bed. He eventually straightened himself and crossed his arms, trying his best not to laugh; having heard about how women felt during pregnancy, he wondered if this was an effect of hormones, or just every-day unadulterated Integra being herself. He eventually decided on the latter, and disappeared through the shadows.

#

The Hellsing household's living room felt warm and cozy, the scent of tea permeating several of the living quarters. A small clicking sound was made as sir Penwood put his teacup down, motioning for Walter he was satisfied for the moment.

"Very good, Walter, one of the best brews I've ever tasted!"

"Delightful, yes," sir Irons interjected, furrowing his brows at Integra. He eyed her suspiciously, noticing how little she had spoken and how much she had fidgeted in her seat. She had barely had any of her tea, either.

Penwood smiled and adjusted the napkin on his lap. "Perhaps you still have some of those lovely cookies you baked last week?"

"We are not here for this, Shelby," the other man cut him before Walter could even say anything. He kept his eyes glued to the young woman next to them. Penwood nodded suddenly deflated, the prospect of having some of that homemade delight now miles away.

Sir Irons continued, his tone low but stern. "Our time is not to be wasted. You call for us off-schedule and say it is an extremely important issue, however we have not been notified of events or emergencies. I'd rather not be bothered for no reason, so what is this all about?"

Integra gulped and shifted her eyes towards Walter. The butler smiled at her discreetly, barely nodding to encourage her. She took a deep breath and sighed, causing sir Irons to raise an eyebrow and sir Penwood to grab firmly at his napkin.

Without stuttering, she announced. "I'm pregnant."


End file.
